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GREETINGS, BEER AFICIONADOS. The holidays are over, and I’ve been on two vacations since the beginning of 2018. Now it’s time to bring you some beer wisdom. Please read responsibly!

I haven’t brewed since October (Lights Out, black IPA). I was too busy with our outdoor fireplace project and then the holidays. In mid-January, we went to Italy and Spain for a couple of weeks, then the first week of February I went to Santa Rosa to score some Pliny the Younger. I’m hoping to brew in the next couple of weeks. I really need to get going because I’m running out of beer at Mac’s (only 4 beers on tap right now, with two taps empty and a third nearly empty).

Ok, so what about Italy and Spain? Sheila and I were on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, with stops in Italian and Spanish ports of call. We were travelling with Rose, Don and Donna Evans.

Well, the beer scene there leaves much to be desired. There is a well known craft brewery in Northern Italy (Baladin), but we never made it to the north, and I was unable to find Baladin anywhere in Tuscany, Rome, or Southern Italy, including Sicily. The beer was pretty much limited to Peroni and Birra Moretti (both are so-so, uninspiring lagers available stateside; don’t waste your time – I didn’t). Heineken was also widely available. Now if you’re looking for wine, that’s a different story – it’s everywhere, and it’s very good. I much prefer red wine, with it’s more complex and robust flavor, to white, and I certainly had my fill of it in Italy.

On board the ship, they had a great black lager (Köstritzer, 4.8% ABV), a porter (Carnegie Porter by Carlsberg, 5.5% ABV) and a Belgian double amber (Grimbergen Dubbel Ambree, 6.5% ABV), so I was able to have some good beer for part of the trip. My go to beer on board was Köstritzer, but I also drank the Carnegie Porter on occasion. Don (my brother-in-law) and Sheila drank the Grimbergen almost exclusively (it was good, but not my style). Donna stuck with a light colored draft Pilsner (I believe it was Carlsberg). Note: Donna – we gotta coach you up and expand your horizons; there’s a lot of good beer out there waiting for you to sample.

In Spain the beer situation is a little better, but still underwhelming. San Miguel brews some decent beer, but doesn’t offer much variety. In Madrid I drank some Cruzcampo Gran Reserva. It was a good (not great) amber lager that had a little more flavor than a typical pilsner. I had never heard of Cruzcampo, but have since learned it is Spain’s largest beer producer. This Gran Reserva was the best beer I found in Spain, but I don’t plan on looking for it at home.

Mac and Don having a San Miguel and tapas in Madrid. January 26, 2018

Now let’s talk about some real beer. On February 5, 2018, I left home on a pilgrimage to Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California, in order to secure some Pliny the Younger – a triple IPA. This beer is consistently rated among the top five beers in the world. It is brewed once a year and is served on tap only, beginning the first Friday of February and for two weeks thereafter. There are a VERY few locations in Orange County where this wonderful beer is also available during this time, but the waiting lines are prohibitively long, so I have never tried.

If you want to get some PTY at Russian River, plan on going to the brewery during those two weeks in February, and waiting in line for a couple of hours (or up to 6 – 8 hours on the weekend). I went with my father, Bob Waddell, and met my uncle, Kevin McCaffrey (from Seattle, WA), and cousin, Jordan Schiller, at Russian River Brewing.

Mac, Kevin, Bob and Jordan waiting in line at Russian River Brewing. February 7, 2018

Going to Santa Rosa and drinking PTY was a bucket list thing for me, and is something Uncle Kevin and I have been talking about doing for 3 – 4 years now. After driving over 500 miles and waiting in line for more than two hours, I must say the reward (three ½ pints of PTY) was worth all the effort, and I will definitely do it again in the future. Pliny the Younger is marvelous!

Mac and Jordan drinking Pliny the Younger at Russian River. February 7, 2018

If you’re an IPA lover and have ever had Pliny the Elder, you know how good it is and how loaded it is with juicy citrus flavors. We shared a pint of Pliny the Elder to taste alongside our Pliny the Younger. Although PTE itself is a hard and hoppy punch in the mouth, it tasted washed out compared to PTY. I say that to say this: If you like Pliny the Elder, you’re gonna love Pliny the Younger. You just gotta have some. It’s hoppy and bitter, but has a huge malt foundation that sweetens the bitterness and creates a very complex IPA. The hoppiness is bigger than PTE, but I would also say it’s more balanced due to the increased maltiness. The body is also heavier, thicker and smoother, lending additional complexity to the brew. The ABV is 10.25%, compared to PTE, which is 8.0%. The higher alcohol is not prevelant in the flavor, but is definitely warming in the throat and thus is more noticeable. If you’re and IPA lover, this beer is a dream come true.

Bob and Kevin raising a glass of Pliny the Younger at Russian River Brewing. February 7, 2018

After heaping all this praise on Pliny the Younger, in all fairness, I must ask myself, “Do I rate it so highly due to the ‘mystique’ surrounding the beer?”

Is it really that good, or am I responding to all the hype, the difficulty obtaining it, and the time and effort involved?

Would I rate it so highly if it was easy to obtain (like, for example, Lagunitas IPA)?

If I didn’t know that it is annually rated among the greatest beers in the world, would I still gush over it?

Of course my answer is only speculation, but I believe I’m being objective when I heap all the afore mentioned praise on Pliny the Younger, and when I say it is definitely as good as advertised, possibly even better. I have an idea . . . why don’t you go to Russian River Brewing next February, have some PTY and decide for yourself. Then you can be the judge.

Well, I need to close out this newsletter before it gets so long that you lose interest. I need to come up with a recipe for my next brew (an IPA), and spend some time posting more beer reviews. Sooooooooo, that’s it for now, but check back soon for more of Mac’s beer wisdom. Better yet, subscribe to Macsbrew.com now and you’ll be notified whenever a new post is added.

The Vendome Beer Panel sampled a variety of beers from five different breweries on Thursday March 30, 2017. If these reviews intrigue you or pique your interest, head over to Vendome Wine and Spirits in Fullerton and use my code, “VEN10C” to get a 10% discount off the price.

The rating system:0 – I wouldn’t offer this beer to my worst enemy.1 – I wouldn’t pay for this beer, but it’s alrigjht.2 – Tasty, but easily forgettable.3 – I’ve had better, I’ve had worse.4 – I can see myself buying this beer and ordering seconds.5 – Just hook up the beer straight to my veins.

GT Gose: Anderson Valley Brewing, Boonville, CA. 4.2% ABV. Rating – 2
This beer pours a clear straw yellow with a ½” white head that persists throughout the session. The aroma is tart, citrus, with just a touch of sulfur. The flavor follows the nose – citrus (mainly lime) and tart. Think of Sprite, but a little tart. These flavors fade to a very slight malty aftertaste. GT Gose is well carbonated and light bodied.

I gave GT Gose a “2” rating because I just don’t care much for the style. This beer would be good on a hot summer day – it’s light and refreshing, low in alcohol and easy to drink. I gravitate to dark beers, big beers and IPAs. This was too much like drinking Sprite. (Note: GT Gose is Anderson Valley’s take on the classic cocktail, Gin & Tonic. With that in mind, I would say they’ve done a pretty good job, as it’s refreshing like a gin and tonic and easy to drink.)

Vanilla Porter: Latitude 33 Brewing, Vista, CA. 6.5% ABV 35 IBU. Rating – 3
This porter pours black with a ½” tan head of thick foam. The aroma is vanilla with hints of caramel. The flavor is vanilla and bitter chocolate with some grainy bitterness. The aftertaste is a lingering vanilla and bitterness that lingers. Vanilla Porter has medium carbonation, body and mouth feel. Although vanilla leads the flavor charge, it is not overwhelming nor does it taste imitation.

I like Vanilla Porter; it’s good beer. However, it does not stand out from the crowd. It’s just another good porter.

Broken Skull IPA: El Segundo Brewing, El Segundo, CA. 6.7% ABV 67 IBU. Rating – 3Broken Skull pours light golden with a light cream-colored head that lasts throughout the session. The aroma is citrus and grapefruit with some mango. The flavor is bittersweet, almost like a DIPA. It’s not real bitter – it has a nice malty foundation that hides the 67 IBU. The hoppy character is subdued citrus and grapefruit. The aftertaste is melon/mango, and bittersweet. This IPA is well carbonated with medium body.

Broken Skull IPA is good beer, but it’s pretty mellow; I would categorize it as an East Coast style IPA (more balanced, malty, not so hoppy). It’s an easy drinking IPA, but I think it would benefit from additional dry hopping (disclaimer: I am a hophead; keep that in mind when considering my comments).

Rocco Red: Bootlegger’s Brewing, Fullerton, CA. 7.1% ABV 37 IBU. Rating – 4
This American Red ale pours dark amber with a creamy beige head. The aroma is malty, slightly sweet with just a note of Cascade hops. The flavor is malty, earthy, slightly sweet, but well balanced with some hop bitterness. The malty sweetness lingers in the aftertaste. This red ale has low-medium carbonation and medium body.

Rocco Red is a well-balanced American Red/Amber Ale brewed right here in Fullerton. Well done, Bootlegger’s!

Mother Earth’s Imperial Stout is good, but not great. I would drink it again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for the style. I expect a little heavier body with a lingering bitter chocolate and coffee flavor/aftertaste in an imperial stout.

Well, that’s it for this edition of Vendome Beer Panel. In my opinion, the best of these five is Rocco Red from Bootlegger’s Brewing. I gave GT Gose a low rating because it’s not a beer style that interests me; however, it’s good within the style category and is definitely refreshing. The other three are good, but not outstanding. If you’re interested in any of these beers, you can buy them at Vendome Wine and Spirits in Fullerton. Be sure to use my discount code “VEN10C” to get a 10% discount off the purchase price. Cheers!

The Vendome Wine and Spirits Beer Panel met for the second time, on March 9, 2017. Again we sampled five different beers again, but this time all of the beers were from one brewery – Ballast Point, in San Diego, California. In addition to the Vendome panelists, there were two representatives from Ballast Point, Nicholas and Joey. These two gentlemen put on a fine presentation, supplying the beer and providing loads of information about each sample. If these reviews intrigue you or pique your interest, get yourself over to Vendome Wine and Spirits in Fullerton and use my code, “VEN10C” to get a 10% discount off the purchase price. Oh, and please read responsibly!

The rating system:0 – I wouldn’t offer this beer to my worst enemy.1 – I wouldn’t pay for this beer, but it’s alrigjht.2 – Tasty, but easily forgettable.3 – I’ve had better, I’ve had worse.4 – I can see myself buying this beer and ordering seconds.5 – Just hook up the beer straight to my veins.

Bonito: 4.5% ABV 20 IBU Rating – 3
This Blonde Ale pours clear yellow with a ¾” white head that lasts forever (and left substantial lacing, even in a 2 oz. plastic sample cup). The aroma is a little bit of lemon, but very slight, with just a hint of malt. The flavor is a slight hoppy bitterness, with a little malt at the back end. It fades to a very slight, but pleasant bitterness in the dry finish. The body is light, with high-medium carbonation.

This is a typical Blonde Ale in that the aromas and flavors are quite mild. The 20 IBU is just slightly high for the style (more typically around 15 IBU), which gives the impression of being a little more dry than most Blondes. Overall, it’s a tasty and thirst quenching beer, but not one I would order again (I’m not much of a Blonde Ale drinker – I prefer bigger, more robust flavors). If you like Blonde Ales, you might like this a lot (or you might not, it’s a little more hoppy than a typical Blonde).

Sculpin: 7% ABV 70 IBU Rating – 4
Is there anybody in Southern California who has never had a Sculpin IPA? I doubt it. Sculpin is Ballast Point’s flagship beer – and for good reason. It’s very good, and it’s one of my go-to IPAs.

Sculpin pours a clear golden color, shading toward orange, with an ivory ½” head that fades to a substantial ring. The aroma is citrus, grapefruit and tropical. The flavor is well balanced for an IPA. It’s bitter (but not an overwhelming bitter bomb), with notes of grapefruit, citrus and pine. The body is medium as is the carbonation level.

This is a great example of a West Coast style IPA. If you like IPAs, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Grapefruit Sculpin: 7% ABV 70 IBU Rating – 4
Grapefruit Sculpin is just what you would expect from the name – Sculpin with grapefruit added. The appearance, body, mouth feel, and carbonation level is exactly the same as Sculpin. Here is how the other attributes compare to Sculpin.

The aroma is similar, but slightly sweeter with a little extra grapefruit on the nose. The flavor is grapefruit, of course, but not as strong as one might expect, and not quite as bitter (have you ever eaten a grapefruit half with a little bit of sugar on top?). The nice bittersweet fades to a strong grapefruit flavor for a few seconds. The aftertaste is also bittersweet, and very pleasant.

So what about Grapefruit Sculpin? It’s very good, just like Sculpin, but there is definitely an added layer of depth in the taste. Try drinking Sculpiin and Grapefruit Sculpin side-by-side and you will see what I mean. The differences are noticeable, but nuanced and easy to miss if one is not paying attention. I highly recommend Sculpin and Grapefruit Sculpin.

Manta Ray: 8.5% ABV 70 IBU Rating – 5
This beer is the heavy hitter among these five brews. Manta Ray, a Double IPA, is a new release from Ballast Point.

Manta Ray pours clear yellow with a ¼” white head. The aroma is tropical, bitter, melon, and pine. The flavor is citrus and pine, but well balanced and smooth. The malty sweetness comes through, but is well covered by citrus, piney bitterness and melon. The body is medium to medium-high with low-medium carbonation and a smooth, creamy mouth feel. The alcohol is fairly high, although low to medium for the style, and is not noticeable in the flavor.

This beer is AWESOME – the best of the evening. I bought a 6-pack before I left Vendome (yes, I used my discount code). I highly recommend this beer to any serious IPA or DIPA drinker.

Barmy: 12% ABV 32 IBU Rating – 4
Barmy is a strong Golden Ale brewed with orange blossom honey and apricots. It pours a clear golden yellow with an ivory head that rapidly fades to a fairly thin ring. The aroma is sweet, cider-like, but with no alcohol (surprising, given the high alcohol content).

The flavor is all about the fruit, similar to a mead. It’s sweet, but there is a noticeable apricot tartness, and notes of orange. The alcohol comes through late on the palate, but it’s not hot or unpleasant. Carbonation is low, with medium-heavy body.

Barmy is excellent. It is bursting with flavor, and easy to drink. Be careful, however, at 12% ABV, a little goes a long way. This is another Ballast Point brew that I can highly recommend.

Well, there you have it. Ballast Point Brewing is truly one of the West Coast’s finest breweries (BTW, I toured their Miramar brewing facility on February 6, 2017). If you want to give any of these beers (or all of them) a try, go to Vendome in Fullerton and purchase them. Be sure to use code “VEN10C” to get a 10% discount off the price of these beers. If you can’t get down to Vendome in Fullerton, then by all means, buy them wherever you can.

This month I was selected to be on the Vendome Wine and Spirits beer panel. The panel consists of 5 individuals; none of us represent any brewery or distributer. We sample craft beer, write reviews, and rate the beer so that customers can access our expertise when making beer selections. This is a volunteer position – my only compensation is free beer samples once every three weeks. I am hopefully helping Vendome sell high quality craft beer with my recommendation, but I get no commission or wage from them. I am doing this strictly for the love of the beer.

Our first panel tasting was on Thursday February 16, 2017. We sampled five beers from five different breweries. My reviews are posted here for your reading pleasure. If any of my reviews pique your interest, I encourage you to go to Vendome and buy the beer. When you buy the beer based upon my recommendation, you will get a 10% discount off of their already low/competitive price if you use MY discount code, VEN10C. This code is specifically related to MY reviews; each person on the panel has a different code, and will be given credit for sales of the corresponding beer. Although I will get no monetary compensation, sales related to my discount code will help keep me on the panel (if I’m not bringing any customers in to purchase the recommended beer, I will be replaced on the panel by someone else).

Each beer is assigned a numerical rating, from 0 to 5, as follows:0 – I wouldn’t offer this beer to my worst enemy.1 – I wouldn’t pay for this beer, but it’s alright.2 – Tasty, but easily forgettable.3 – I’ve had better, I’ve had worse.4 – I can see myself buying this beer and ordering seconds.5 – Just hook up the beer straight to my veins.

So, here’s what you have all been waiting for . . . reviews and recommendations for five beers. These ratings are solely mine – I did not consult with or collaborate with the other panel members in my ratings, so I don’t know how they rated each beer. These are MY observations and recommendations only (note: the prices listed are for 22 oz. bombers at Vendome). Please read responsibly.

We Should See Other People: Arsenal Urban Ales, Westlake, CA. 5.4% ABV.
Rating – 4 ($6.99)
This blonde ale pours a clear golden color, typical for the style, with a white head that fades fairly rapidly. The aroma is fruity sweet, with coffee and cocoa (especially coffee!).

The flavor is sweet, coffee/mocha, then fades to a sweet coffee aftertaste. There is a very slight bitterness, but no real hoppy notes. This is a very clean tasting beer with a light body and medium carbonation.

Overall, We Should See Other People is a pleasant drinking experience. It’s a well balanced beer, though not a typical blonde ale, thanks to the added cocoa and coffee. The alcohol content at 5.4% is on the high side for a blonde, but it’s not so high that one couldn’t easily drink two or three in a sitting. Arsenal Urban Ales has done a nice job with this one, and I recommend it to anyone looking for an easy drinking ale with a little extra flavor complexity.

Land of Hopportunity Blood Orange IPA: 4 Sons Brewing, Huntington Beach, CA. 6.3% ABV 62 IBU
Rating – 3 ($6.99)
This IPA is a slightly different take on 4 Sons standard IPA, Land of Hopportunity, with the addition of blood orange. It pours a clear golden-orange with a thick, light cream colored head that persists for a couple of minutes. The aroma is hoppy, tropical fruit and a little citrus.

The flavor is hoppy but not overwhelming; it’s bitter with tropical fruit notes. The bitterness level is nice, not over the top, but there’s no doubt it’s an IPA. Nuances of orange are apparent on the back end and are dominant in the aftertaste. The body is light to medium, with a medium carbonation level.

This is a nice IPA, with subdued citrus/orange flavors. It’s good and it’s refreshing, but doesn’t’ stand out from the crowded field of American style IPAs. The alcohol content is mid level for the style. I can say I would drink this again if I had a bottle in my refrigerator, but would not go out of the way to buy it.

Expatriot: Three Weavers Brewing, Inglewood, CA. 6.9% ABV.
Rating – 4 ($7.49)Expatriot is an American style IPA from relative newcomer, Three Weavers Brewing. It pours a golden/orange color with a thin white head that rapidly fades. The aroma is malty sweet (pale malts) with some hoppy citrus.

The flavor is bittersweet, malty with tropical fruit and a hoppy chaser that fades to a citrus bitterness. The pleasant bitterness lingers forever in the aftertaste. This beer is a little more complex than the typical American style IPA – more like a Double IPA with the bittersweet malt/hops balance. The body is medium to medium-full, with medium-high carbonation, also reminiscent of a DIPA.

Expatriot is very good – well balanced, malty yet bitter and clean. The alcohol content is high for an IPA, so be careful with it. If you like big IPA’s, you should give it a try. I will definitely be on the lookout for this one in the future.

Coconut Imperial Brown Ale: Valiant Brewing, Orange CA. 8.5% ABV. 30 IBU
Rating – 5 ($7.49)
When Valiant Brewing opened a few years ago, they concentrated on Belgian style ales. They have since expanded their repertoire significantly and are doing it well! Brown ales are (in my opinion) difficult to get right, but Valiant did a great job with this one.

Coconut Imperial Brown Ale pours a clear dark brown with a light beige head that rapidly fades to thin ring around the perimeter. The aroma is sweet, coconut, with a hint of chocolate and a little alcohol.

The flavor is slightly roasty but sweet, with light cocoa, followed by a punch in the mouth with dark chocolate and coconut. Next up is pure coconut followed by a lingering semi-sweet chocolate and coconut aftertaste. Wait a minute, did I just take a bite of a Mounds candy bar? No, but that is the flavor profile here.

This beer features a very solid brown ale base, with some grainy bitterness and 30 IBU to balance the flavor, which otherwise could be too sweet. Again, even though it tastes like a candy bar, it’s not overly sweet. This is all about the coconut, and it’s well done. Some coconut beers on the market tend to have an “imitation” flavor, but this one tastes like toasted fresh coconut. Coconut Imperial Brown presents a medium body and mouthfeel, with light-medium carbonation. The alcohol content is relatively high, but is not detected in the flavor, so it would be easy to drink too much.

Based on my 3 oz. sample, I think this beer is excellent. I will definitely buy it in the future. One caveat, however: with this much flavor, a 22 oz. bomber might wear me out. I highly recommend Coconut Imperial Brown Ale to anyone who enjoys dark beers. Well done, Valiant!

Café Racer 15: Bear Republic Brewing, Cloverdale, CA. 9.75% ABV. 100+ IBU.
Rating – 5 ($8.99)Café Racer 15 is a Double IPA from well known Bear Republic Brewing in Northern California. It pours a clear orange with a white head that fades rapidly, leaving no ring. The aroma is citrus hoppy and sweet with just a hint of tropical fruit.

The flavor is quintessential DIPA – bittersweet. It has a nice, thick malty framework, including notes of caramel, covered with pine and citrus. The overall impression is citrus, but that is mitigated by a big malty sweetness. The 100+ IBU is well balanced, so it doesn’t taste like a bitter hop bomb on the palate. The body is on the heavy side of medium with a light-medium carbonation level (this is not a dry IPA).

Café Racer 15 is an excellent DIPA. The malt and hops are nicely balanced within the style guidelines. At 9.75% ABV, the alcohol content is high. A 22 oz. bomber will get you where you want to go – especially if you consume it on an empty stomach. (but no driving afterward!). I highly recommend this beer.

Well, there you have it – my observations and recommendations for five craft beers. I hope you find this review helpful. If you feel the need to purchase any of these beers, get yourself down to Vendome Wine and Spirits and use my discount code VEN10C to save yourself a little cash (and to keep me on the panel so I can continue to bring you these enlightening reviews). Vendome is located at 3115 Yorba Linda Blvd., Fullerton. A special THANK YOU to Junior and Vikki for allowing me to review beer for your business.

There are two more beer panels scheduled for March 9, and March 30, so check back here a day or two after those dates for more ratings and recommendations.

It’s been three months since my last news letter. Sorry for the delay. Here is the latest news from Mac’s Brew. Please read responsibly.

I have brewed two batches since my last report – both in August. I was too busy in September (plus the fermenter was in use for the first three weeks with the IPA I brewed at the end of August), and now I am recovering from surgery a few days ago, so I won’t be brewing again until November. The good thing is I have enough beer to last for awhile, so I shouldn’t run out here.

Maktoberfest: Brewed 06-23-2016; 5.1% ABV
Same recipe as last year with no revisions. And like last year, it’s REALLY good. Strong malty caramel notes with German noble hops give this the classic Märzen (Oktoberfest) flavor. I allowed for an extensive lagering period (5 weeks) and then kegged 10 gallons on August 19, 2016. I have already drained 1 keg while sharing this wonderful beer with family and friends (I served it at our annual beer appreciation party, and took growlers to our neighborhood block party, my Beer & Brats event in early October, and my Brother-In-Law (Don) in Utah, and sent bombers to Kevin McCaffrey in Seattle. I’m glad that I still have enough to last until Thanksgiving.

Fat Ass in a Glass: Brewed 08-13-2016; 10.3% ABV
This is an English style barley wine. I used the Baby Luke’s Barley Wine recipe with several revisions, to brew this. I decided to forgo the bourbon barrel aging in order to properly assess the base recipe this time. Big beers are notoriously hard to brew. I learned a lot when I brewed Baby Luke’s Barley Wine two and a half years earlier, and incorporated that knowledge into this brew. This is where keeping lots of data and good notes pays dividends.

This beer is so big that its name is well deserved, “Fat Ass in a Glass.” It is currently in the tertiary fermenter, conditioning until mid-December. I tasted a sample when I racked to the secondary fermenter – very much the flavor of a barley wine, but quite harsh from the high alcohol content. I also tasted a very small sample when I moved it to the tertiary vessel (09-27-2016). The harshness had subsided somewhat, but it was still in need of further conditioning. I hope to be drinking this by Christmas.

SmackDown (Generation II); Brewed 08-26-2016; 7.8% ABV
I have brewed this IPA many times, revising the recipe a little each time. It’s getting closer to where I want it, but it’s not quite perfected yet. This version was brewed in collaboration with Mike Matulich, so we each have 5 gallons in our kegerators.

SmackDown is an Imperial IPA. The high alcohol content is well hidden behind the huge “punch-in-the-face” hoppy aroma and flavor. It’s 96 IBU, which places it in the middle of the IBU range for the style category. It’s bitter, but not overly so, and is easy to drink (if you like IPA’s). The huge hoppy aroma and flavor derive from the extensive hopping during the post boil hop stand (Citra and Cascade) and the dry hopping regimen (11+ oz. of Columbus, Amarillo and Citra hops in 11 gallons of beer). It really does smack you down with hoppiness (have I ever mentioned that I like hoppy beers?). The one disappointment is how hazy this beer is; I believe that is a direct result of the extensive dry hopping.

Orange County Fair update: As previously mentioned in the July 18, 2016 newsletter, Goldihops (my blonde ale) won 2nd place in the American Pale category (blondes and pale ales) at the Orange County Fair homebrew competition. I have now received my judging sheets from the OC Fair. All four of my entries scored very well (Goldihops, SmackDown, Mac’s PAPA, and Nutcase) and I received lots of very positive comments.

I recently purchased a QuickCarb keg carbonator by Blichman Engineering. I used it for the first time last week when I carbonated SmackDown. I can now do in 45 – 60 minutes what used to take me 6 days to accomplish (carbonate a keg of beer). This device is easy to use and is very effective. Is it necessary? No. Is it worth the money? Yes, without a doubt; no longer do I have to wait a week for carbonated beer. It’s not cheap, but it’s not overly expensive either, so In my opinion, it’s worth the cost ($180). My compliments to Blichman Engineering – they consistently design and manufacture high quality equipment for homebrewers.

I have several collaboration brews lined up for the near future. I just need to finish my recovery so I can get back to brewing.

Well, beer lovers, that’s it for now. Stop by Mac’s Brew Pub for a pint or two if you get the chance. There’s plenty of beer on tap.

It’s been awhile since I posted a beer review, but I have been busy sampling lots of different commercial brews. Here are my impressions on three of them. Please read responsibly.

Mash: The Bruery, Placentia, CA12.5% ABV.
Mash is a barley wine style ale aged in bourbon barrels. Now I like barley wines, and bourbon barrel aged beers, so this should be a “can’t miss” beer, right? The Bruery didn’t disappoint (I have to say, they never do; although I’m not wild about Belgian style beers, their specialty, you can count on anything from The Bruery to be good, and this is just another really good beer from our friends in Placentia).

Mash pours a cloudy dark amber with a 1/4″ light cream colored head that fades to a thin ring around the perimeter of the glass (in this case, a “Bruery” tulip glass). The aroma is sweet, dark fruit, raisin, toffee, caramel, vanilla, coconut and bourbon (faint).

Mash has a thick, heavy body with flavors of toffee, caramel, raisin, figs, vanilla, and coconut. It then produces a slight bitterness that fades to more coconut, vanilla, and a little bit of booze, with a tobacco like quality lingering in the aftertaste. This beer is sweet and chewy, but not unpleasant. The carbonation is not overwhelming, but enough to smooth out the sweetness and cleanse the palate for your next sip.

Mash is very complex. As it warms, the alcohol becomes quite pronounced in the aroma, but the taste remains very smooth, without the booziness that is noticeable in many other high alcohol beers. In my opinion, this is one of the best barley wines on the market. I prefer it to Stone’s Old Guardian (which I also like) – Mash is more in the English style (it’s not a hop bomb like Old Guardian) and is similar to Firestone Walker’s Sucaba.

I sampled Mash from a 750 ml bottle given to me by my daughter, Rosie, for Father’s Day. It’s currently available at Total Wine for $19.99. That’s pretty expensive, but well worth it (in fact, I have another bottle in my refrigerator right now). I HIGHLY recommend Mash!

Bourbon Street Rye Pale Ale: Abita Brewing, Abita Springs, LA. 9.5% ABV.
Bourbon Street is a Pale Ale aged in bourbon barrels. It is very high in alcohol for a pale ale (I’m sure the bourbon barrel aging has something to do with that). This beer is a medium to dark orange color with a creamy white 3/4″ head that remains for a couple of minutes before fading to a thin covering over the top. The aroma is sweet, vanilla, caramel and coconut.

The flavor is sweet malt, caramel and a slight, nice vanilla sweetness. It is not overly sweet, as the hops balance it, to keep it in the American Pale Ale category. The balanced sweetness fades to a nice vanilla and coconut in the aftertaste, courtesy of the bourbon barrel. The vanilla/coconut lingers for quite awhile (very pleasant).

Bourbon Street has a medium carbonation level, commensurate with the Pale Ale style, but it is higher than most bourbon barrel aged beers. This carbonation helps to keep the sweetness under control, and gets your mouth ready for the next swallow.

I sampled this beer from a 22 oz. bomber purchased from Total Wine for $9.99. I think this might be limited release, so I’m not sure if it’s readily available. Overall, this is a very nice beer, and one I can recommend. I’ve never had a bourbon barrel aged pale ale before. This one is nicely done. Good job, Abita!

Fogcutter Double IPA: Lost Coast Brewery, Eureka, CA. 8.7% ABV.
Fogcutter pours a murky golden yellow with a 1/2″ white head, which fades to a fairly thick ring that leaves extensive lacing. The aroma is mild citrus and floral. The flavor is typical DIPA – bittersweet. The malty sweetness is balanced out by the hoppy, citrus flavor that leaves a lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.

Fogcutter is rated at 80 IBU, which is on the lower end of the Double IPA category, but I think it is more balanced than many DIPA’s. The medium body and carbonation level help lend a balanced feel to the flavor. The alcohol content (8.7%) is substantial, but not overwhelming and is not noticeable in the taste. If you drink it on an empty stomach, you will definitely get the effect, but you won’t be wiped out. Many DIPA’s tend to be out of balance (in my opinion) – too thick and sweet – but Lost Coast has this one dialed in just right!

I had never heard of Fogcutter until I received a 22 oz. bomber from Phil Colias a couple of weeks ago. As I recall, he randomly selected this beer and had never tried it before. Well, Phil, good choice, and thank you for the wonderful beer. I highly recommend Fogcutter and will be buying more in the future. It’s moderately priced at $8.99 for a 22 oz. bottle at Total Wine.

So, there you have it. Bourbon Street and Fogcutter are moderately priced; Mash is expensive. Each of them, however, is worth the price of admission. I can highly recommend all three of these beers, but especially Mash. Caveat: fizzy yellow beer drinkers and cheapskates, don’t even bother – you’re not sophisticated enough.

There’s a lot happening at Mac’s Brew Pub and I hope to have a newsletter out in the next couple of weeks. That’s all I have time for now, but check back soon for the lowdown on Mac’s Brew, and for additional beer reviews.